Determinants of COVID-19 fatality among healthcare workers during the first and second waves in Peru

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare workers are at high risk of COVID-19, a fact that is especially important in Peru which has one of the highest COVID-19 case fatality rates. Objective: To identify and compare the determinants of COVID-19 case fatality among healthcare workers in Peru between the first and second waves of the pandemic. Material and Methods: Secondary analysis of data from the COVID-19 Health Sector Workers Situation Room which included 95,966 confirmed cases of COVID-19 until October 21, 2021. Case fatality rate was calculated; crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were obtained by applying binary logistic regression. Results: The results show that 65,5 % of the workers were female, aged 41,2 (S.D.=11,1) years on average. Case fatality rate was higher in the second wave. Male sex (3,49 [95 %CI=3,09–3,95] in the first wave (2,1 % [95 %CI=2,0-2,2] vs. 2,6 % [95 %CI=2,5-2,8]), and 2,65 [95 %CI=2,32–3,02] in the second wave), ≥40 years ofage (9,97 [95 %CI=8,19–12,13] in the first wave, and 10,77 [95 %CI=8,56–13,54] in the second wave), and healthcare professionals (1,14 [95 %CI=1,01–1,28] in the first wave, and 1,59 [95 %CI=1,39–1,82] in the second wave) were determinants for COVID-19 case fatality in both waves. Conclusions: COVID-19 case fatality was higher in the second wave, and was associated with individual, geographic and occupational determinants in Peruvian healthcare workers.

Keywords

• factores epidemiológicos
• infecciones por coronavirus
• mortalidad laboral
• personal de salud
• países en desarrollo
• perú